SDR based through the rubble communications for collapsed mines: A proof-of-concept

The underground communications system is the lifeline of a mine. During a mine emergency, it plays a crucial role in rescue and recovery operations. However, the biggest challenge faced by conventional communications system is its own survivability. Therefore a robust, resilient communications platform plays a crucial role when the safety of the miners is concerned. Hence the motivations for this pilot project for designing a proof-of-concept for a robust, self-organising underground wireless communications system capable of through the rubble communications in the event of an incident. Under this pilot project, the feasibility of using Software Defined Radio (SDR) devices for the creation of an underground heterogeneous wireless communications system is investigated. The primary focus is the use of customised IEEE 802.15.4 implementation for through the rubble transmissions between buried devices and to examine the use of appropriate forward error correction techniques. This work utilized a field programmable gate array (FPGA) based SDR and achieved promising results through extensive laboratory testing, where data was successfully transmitted through a chamber of rubble with a custom IEEE 802.15.4 protocol.